Association of β2-adrenoceptor Gln27Glu variant with body weight but not hypertension

beta (2)-Adrenoceptor (beta (2)-ADR)-mediated vasodilatation decreases vascular reactivity and blood pressure (BP) and chromosome 5 where its gene (ADRB2R) resides and shows link-age to hypertension (HT). A Gln27Glu ADRB2R variant confers resistance to agonist-induced desensitization and enhanced vasodilator response to isoprenaline. Therefore, we carried out a case-control study in a cohort of HT and normotensive (NT) Anglo-Celtic Australian white subjects whose parents had a similar BP status as the subjects. Glu27 frequency was 0.41 in 108 HT and 0.42 in 141 NT (chi (2) = 0.05, P = .82). Within the HT group, the Glu27 allele was more prevalent in 61 subjects who were overweight (body mass index [BMI] greater than or equal to 25 kg/m(2)) Compared with 41 who were lean (BMI < 25 kg/m(2)); ie, 0.49 nu 0.31, respectively (chi (2) = 6.4, P = .012). Furthermore, Glu27 tracked with elevation in BMI in these subjects: 24 +/- 4 kg/m(2), 27 +/- 5 kg/m(2), and 28 +/- 5 kg/m(2) for Gln/Gln, Gln/Glu, and Glu/Glu, respectively (P = .0058 by one-way ANOVA). Thus, the Gln27Glu beta (2)-ADR variant is excluded in HT, but might influence body weight. (C) 2001 American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd.